Apparatus for purification of sewage and other waters.



L. G. LUTZENHISER QQ P. CHANDLER.

EWAC-E AND OTHER WATERS.

RENBWBD .JUNE 18, 1910.

APPARATUS FOR PURIFICATIUN 0F PPLIUATION FILED AUGY 20,

Paented Aug. 2, 1910.

y L. G. LATz-BNHISER & 0.12.' CHANDLER. APPARATUS FOB. PURIFIGATIQN- or SBWAQE AND `'OTHER WATERS.

.APILIOATINYFILBD A'UG. 2Q, 1908'. B ENEWBD JUNE 18, 1910.

Patented Aug. 2,1910.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

vUNITED sTAijEs PQEENT OFFICE.

LEWIS e. LAUIZENHIS'EE AND CHARLES i.

CHANDLER, or Los ANGELES, cALiEoENIA,. -AssieNoEs or ONE-HALE gro' DE wI'r'r A. sLEivIMEE AND SHIRLEY c. WARD, AND4 SAID CHANDLER-ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TWENTIETH TO W.v K. REESErJR., .ALL F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA;

APPARATUS-FOR PURIFICATION 0F SEWAGE AND OTHEE, '\A'.."ERS.

specification of Letters-Patent.

Application led August 20, 1308, Serial No. 449,552.` Renewed .Tune 18, 1910. Serial No. 587,704.

"To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, LEwis Cr. LAU'rzEN'f ,iiisER and CHARLES CP. CHANDLER, both citizens of the United States, residing at Los.

Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new` and useful Apparat-us for Purification of Sewage and other .Waters of which thefollowing is a specification. v

`'The main object ofthe present invention is to provide for deodorization and purification of sewagein such manner that it will be rendered unobj ectionable in smell and free from dangerous organic. and other iin-, purities.'

" A. further object of the invention is' to provide means for treating the sewage continuously, whereby a large capacity is secured in a ,comparatively small apparatus without the use of extensive settlingv tanks, CC.' t

The invention is based on the use of electrolysis in connection with electrodes of such nature as to form metallic precipitates capable of collecting and -deodorizing organic matter present.

.In this 4connection one of the objects of the invention is to provide means whereby. the electrodes may be used continuously, or y substantially so, without material interruption due to clogging or fouling thereof.

Another object of the invention is topro- Y vide 'efficient and cheap means for support .the magnets.

and 'insulation of the electrodes.

Another object of the invention is to pro-- vide efficient and simple means for controlling the flow of fluid between the electrodes.

:Another object of the invention is to provide convenient means for flushing or clearing out the flume when required.

In connection with the electrolysis, inagnetic action may be utilized, to increase the `efficiency lof the precipitate etc., when 'de sired. In this connection, the invention comprises improved means for supporting In the accompanying drawings :-`-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus, partly insectioii. Fig. 2 is a plan thereof. Fig. Sis a vertical section. Fig. 4. is a perspective of a set of electrodes. Fig. 5 isa vertical section on the line :12F-m5 in Fig. 4, showing the manner of supporting and establishing circuit connection to thel electrodes. Fig. 6 is a fra mentary section on the line :vB-m of Fig. showing the manner of electrically insulating, but'mechanically connecting, the

tial section of the electrodes,' showing a modification. l

The apparatus comprises a flume or trou h 1 formed, for example, of wood, with at main or pipe 3 communicating through an inlet. 4 into the upper end of .this Hume, said pipe 3 having a gate orA Valve 5 for the lower end of the flume 4 controlling the outflow and backing up the: fluid into the Hume to any desired level, and a plurality of sets 7 of electrodes extending in planes parallel tothe length of the flume to allow bottom of the luine is smooth, continuous and imperforate, so as not to oifer any obupper end to extend over and rest on jt-he top of the side boards of tank 12 and the if'ertical ieg of 'the hanger extending down on the inside of said side board. A bolt 12 extends across between the two hangers at said hangers so as to connect the hangers as a pair, the anodes being all strung and cathodes being all strung and supported on the bolt 12 at the other end, and the electrodes being in each case spaced apart by electrodes at a portion thereof removedfrom thepoint of support. Fig. 7 is a paI'-,

loot-tom and vertical sides, a sewer supplyv controlling a supply of sewage, a Weir 6 atA the water to ilow freely between them. The

struction 'to the flow of sewage, or to collect with a lateral-projection or hook 11 at its Patented Aug. '2, 1910.

one end of said electrodes and screws into supported on the bolt 12 at one end and the ioo , two nuts 19 on the bolts 1G .conducting bushings l.'v

are provided two suiiporting and insulatingI bolts 1G,.each extending through all of the Aelectrodes and each surrounded by an insulating tube 17 passing through# all the electrodes, and insulating bushings .18 being provided 'on and around said tube to space apart the electrodes. The set of electrodes is assembled as follows :--Two bolts l2 with nuts I5 thereon are screwed into the two hangers 10, and one electrode, say an anode, is slipped over said two bolts, the two bolts 16 being passed through said anode and insulated therefrom by the sleeve or tube 17, being .pressed side of the anode, and the anode beingpressed against. the? nuts l5 on the bolt l2 at one end, said anode being, however, not of sul'iicient lengt-h to reach 'to the bolt- 12 at. the.' other end. At metal bushing 14 is slipped on the first namedbolt l2 against the innerface ofthe anode, and insulating bushings lS'are slipped on the tube. 17 against the anode. A cathode is nextv put kin place by slipping onto the bolt. l2 at the outer end, pressingit lionne againstthe bushings aforesaid, the cathode not being' long enough to reach tol the bolt at the tirs-t named end. `Another set of bushings is then slipped on, followed by another anode and so forth, until the set of electrot'les-is completed, whereupon .fastening nuts 20 are screwed into place at the other end, and the other hangers 10 are screwed onto the said other ends` of the bolts 'The set so built up can be 'deposited as a rigid member bodilyfinto the thune and allowed to rest by itshoolrs il on the side walls of the flume.

The electrodes 8 and iron, both anodes and eathodes, and it is preferred to use cast-iron forthis purpose. In the operation of the apparatus itis found that the edges of the electrodes, particularly the upper edges thereof, are subject to abnormal corrosion. 'llo-,do away with this local corrosion, and for other reasons hereinafter set forth, the upper edge of each anode preferably provided with a protecting strip 5201 copper, bent in channel shape and clenched, brazed, soldered or otherwise fastened tothe anode. This copper strip'presents, in relation to the iron of the anode, a polarity which is the reverse to that of the operating electric current, and thereby reduces the 'intensi-ty of electrolytic action alongr this edge, and in so fa r as it is corroded by the electrolytic action it supplies to thesewage 'lluid a small proportion of copper salt which is effective, as a deodorizer and disinfectant.

The respective positive and negative against the outer.

'sure of the water tends to hold the convenient position4 for use.

9 are preferably of' 'enanas branch wires 2l" to bus bars or leads 21, 22

connected through a reversing switch 23` with supply wires Q11, l5 for the supply of direct currentl of low tension. The eonnec` tion of the wires 2l is made directly to thc hooks ll ol' the hangers.

The weir (i at the lower end of the thune preferably consists of a vertical. plate attached to side, hars 2G having at their upper ends outwardly turned lugs 2W, through which pa ss supporting' bolts Y2,7 carrying nuts 28 for adjustment of the height ofl Said weir has a lip 29 at; its upper end vand rests agaii'itt a cross board 30 extendingr transversely ofthe flume,4 Said board 30 is preferably separated from the bottoni of the flume to leave a flushing discharge outlet 32 normally cl ed by a gate 33 hinged to the .crowsy board lt? and' extending downwardly and rearwardly from the l'llnne, so that presgate closed, said gate being provided with an operating handle 34 e..tendingupwardly into convenient position for lifting the gate when it is desired to flush out the thune. Any desired number of battles 3G may be provided, hinged to the sides of the thune and extending downwardly and rearwardly, directly at the rear of one or more of the 'sets of electrodes, each battle plate having an operating handle 38 extending' up into V1When the battle plate is down .in the position shown in llig. l, it dellects the current of water upwardly so as to force the same to pas between the next set of electrodes. lVhen the baille plate is raised a free passage is provided for the water below the electrodes.

ln using magnetic action at the electrodes, means are provided for supporting the niagnets without undue strain on the thune. i\ magnet indicated at 40 is provided for each set of electrodes with its pole. pieces tl extending in proximity to the 'upper edge ot the electrodes, and each of said magnets is hung' by eye bolts 4:2 from hooks 43 in one ofthe cross beams eel supptn'ted by a Stringer 45, which may be hungA by means, 'indicated atflti, from a.. roof or other support, indeL pendently of the elef:t'r(. de thune` This construction not, only relieifes `the thune from strain, but leaves the space around and above the electrodes clear, for inspection oft and access to, the electrodes. The coils 47 of the respective ina/gnets are supplied'by brani-.h wires i8 from the leads 49, 50 including a switch 5l and connected to bus bars 2l, 22. rthe operation is as follows f'lhe sewage is turned into the liume l by opening valve and the Weir 6 at the lower end ofthe thune is adjusted to back-up the sewage in thelinme toalevel sutlicient to snbinerge all of the electrodes,

the wcir;

the flushing gat-e 33 being p closed and the baie plates 36 being also in duced, is to deodorize the sewage.

closed position. The sewage then passes longitudinally through the fiume and between 'the severalsets of electrode plates. Current being turned on by closing reversing switch 2 3, 1t passes through the electrolyte in multi le circuits between the anodes and catho es. The electrodes being of iron,- the ef.- fect of the electrolysis is to produce i-n the fluid, salts 'of iron, 'which icombining with the other substances present in the-sewage form a bulky precipitate that has .a property .o'fggathering t0 itself or absorbing the various impurities in the Water. Another effect o f the electrolysis, particularly in conjunction with the eHect of the iron salts pro- It has been found possibleby this means to effectually deodorize sewage amounting to 500,000 gallons in twenty-four hours by the operation of an apparatus 'consisting'of one flume- 22 inches wide by 18 inches deep and 30 feet long with an. expenditure of 300 ain-- lperes under a pressure of 1.6y volts. The magnets 40 are for the purpose of modifying the quantity and quality of the electrolytic precipitate, thereby increasing the etliciency of the process. These magnets may, however, be omitted without departing from the main features of the' invention." Sediment-ary 'material accumulating' in the bottom .of the flume may be removed from time to time by raising the flushing gate 33, and the baffle platcsl allowing the flume'l to be flushed out, and on kthen putting the baille plates 'down and again directing theglow of water through the Hume, the plates may b e cleaned to some extent, but it is found iiipractice that an adherent deposit forms on the cathodes which' is not removable bv mere hydraulic action, and to effect removal 'of this deposit the present process provides for temporary reversal of the current from time to time/by means of the reversing switch 23. After Such a deposit has been formed the said reversing switch is thrown to reverse position, causing the current to pass into the electrolyte from the plate which has been' acting as a icathode. A short treatment of rthe platein this manner causes the deposit lto be loosened therefrom andto be washed away with the current of water, whereupon the reversing switch is restored to the normal position.

The Strip or cap 20 may be of any metal different from the metalof the electrode', for example, of copper, aluminum, zinc, etc., ac.

cording to the requirements of the'liquid. Said caps may beprovided on either anode or cathode or on both anode and cathode, as

shownin Fig.- 7.

1. An apparatus for the deodorization of sewage, comprising aiume havinga smooth,

T."itli a strip of continuous, imperforatebottom, a plurafity' of sets of electrodes supported in said 'fiuiigicg said electrodes 'extending in planes papil-elel` to the length of the flume, means .for sjpa plying sewage at one end of said iiiiiiipvf a.

regulatable Weir at. the other end of*l ,gid fiume for discharging the fluidand controlling the levelof the fluid iii the fiume,

andv a discharge gate located beneath the weir and between the weir and the bottom of the iiume for emptying the fiume, said discharge'gate being normally held closed by the pressure of the water and being provided with manual operating means to open the saine. v i

2. An apparatus for the deodorization ofv sewage, comprising a ume'having a smooth, continuous, imperforate bottom, a plurality of sets of electrodes supported in sa-id flume, said electrodes extending in planes parallel to the length of the flume, means for supplying sewage at one end of said fiume, a cross board extending transversely of the other end of the fiume and separated 4from the bottom of the fiume to Aform a discharge outl t between said board and the bottom of the ume, a weir adjacent to said b oard and adjustable vertically to control the level of the sewage in the-Hume and the normal discharge from the flume, a discharge gate hinged to saidV cross board and extending downwardly therefrom to the bottom of the flume to normally close the said discharge outlet, and manual operating means for opening said' discharge gate.

4. In an apparatus for treatment of sewa'ie, a setof electrodes comprising cathodes and anodes both formed of cast-iron, one of said electrodes being provided with an el ec trode portion consisting of copper in con- 'tact with the iron.

5. In an apparatus for the treatment of sewage, an electrode plate consisting of iron copper secured along one edge thereof. 4

Gl The combina-tion with a flume, of a set -of electrodes comprising two end bolts and two intermediate bolts, anodes strung on one end bolt and the two intermediate bolts, cathodes strung on the other end bolt .and the tw'o intermediate bolts, bushings on the end bolts between the electrodes, insulating sleeves around the intermediate bolts. insulating'bushings on said sleeves separatn ing the electrodes, nuts on the bolts, clam'ping ,the parts together, and hangers connected to said yend bolts and provided with lateral projections to rest on the side walls of the -flume for suspending the set and conl veying current thereto. i. .In an apparatus for treatment of sew age, the Combination with a inne provided iet our hands it Les Angeles,California this with lnenns for receivingsewage it one end Lth day ef August 1908.

vided with u :strip of Copper secured along In presence 0f- One edge thereof. A. 1)'. KMGHT,

In testimon)v 'whereof7 We have hereunto FRANK L. A. GRAHAM. 

